Spring suspension for vehicles.



W. E. EASTMAN.

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1912.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

UNTE STATES PATEN T OFFIQE.

WILLIAM E. EASTMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. EAs'r- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Suspensions for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlngs.

The vehicle spring suspension disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,007,077, issued to me October 31, 1911, was found, when used for an automobile, to develop the following defect: The wheel axles, both front and rear, being pivoted to the body frame by means of brace rods, did not approach or recede from the frame in planes at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the frame, but moved in curved arcs or paths having the pivoted brace rods as a radii; consequently each axle frequently assumed such positions in relation to the frame as seriously interfered with the steel-age of the car in a proper course. The problem presented was, therefore, how to give to the axle, up and down movements in a substantially vertical plane, instead of arcs of a circle. This problem I solved by providing automatic means so to increase or decrease the length of each of these pivoted brace rods or frames, that each part of the axle as it approached or receded from the bottom of the car would be compelled to move in a substantially straight line, rather than in said objectionable are; said means comprising a rod capable of longitudinal reciprocating movements through its pivot, and a controller arm pivoted thereto, and also to the frame of the vehicle; the length of the controller arm, and the location of the pivots being such that as the axle of the wheel approaches or recedes from the body of the vehicle, the controller arm forces the axle rod through the pivot and shortens the same, or

pulls the rod through the pivot and increases the length of the same; the angle formed between the controller arm and that portion of the brace rod connected to the axle being a working acute angle.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby greater or less tension may be given to the above mentioned spring.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 8, 1912.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912. Serial No. 702,420.

known to me of embodying the same in 0perative structure, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention in connection with the fore axle of an automobile, partly in section, the near wheel having been removed to show more clearly portions of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of what, with the exception of the farther wheel, is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan. Fig. 1 is a detail showing spiral spring anchor block. F ig..5 is a side elevation of the rear axle, similar to that in Fig. 1; it also shows the method employed to increase the tension of the spring. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, in longitudinal section, of the socket block forming a seat for the extension of the spiral spring; while Fig. 7 illustrates how the axis of the axle moves in a plane rather than describes a curved surface.

A vehicle frame 1, similar to that shown in my above mentioned Letters Patent, is provided, and has its two forward and its two rear end portions bent downwardly and outwardly to form hangers 2. As m invention is shown as applicable to both forward axle and rear axle, and further, as the means of suspending each end of each axle are substantially in duplicate, a description of the apparatus at one corner of the frame will suflice. A spiral spring 3 has its inner end 4 engage a longitudinal slot 5, Fig. 4, is an anchor block 6 fixed to the frame 1 and designed to receive theend thrust of the spring; the spring being there confined transversely by a fixed flange 7 and a removable flange 8 and nut 9. To connect the spring to a wheel axle 10, and also to the frame 1 of the vehicle, a controller arm 11, and a slidable brace rod 12 are provided; the spring, controller arm and slidable brace rod lying substantially in a vertical plane. Each hanger 2 is bifurcated and has pivoted therein a journal box 13 through which longitudinally, the brace rod is free to move. This rod is a piece of steel tubing having its outer end open, and its inner end mounted in. a cap 1 1, which, in turn, has its free end portion pivoted in suitable lugs 15 therefor, fixed to the side of the axle. A movable collar or sleeve 16 is located upon the mid portion of the brace rod, and maybe adjusted and secured longitudinally in relation thereto by means of adjustable nuts 17, 18. To a lug 19 upon the top portion of the collar on the brace red, one end of the controller arm 11 is pivoted, while the opposite end of the controller arm is pivoted at 20 to the frame of the vehicle. For the reception of the end of the extension 21 of the spiral spring, a socket block 22, Fig. 6, is mounted in suitable guide ways formed in the cap 1 f, Figs. 1 and 3, of the brace rod. It is hook shaped in form, and has a depending lug 23, Fig. 6, which lies within the steel tube,

has a screw threaded hole longitudinally through it for the passage of an adjusting rod 2 1 lying within the tube, and having one end abut the bottom of the cavity in the cap. The other end of the adjusting rod protrudes from the open end of the tube, and has a head 25 for the reception of a wrench or handle to turn the adjusting rod forward and backward. When the vehicle is in normal position, the slidable rod 12 inclines downward from the pivoted journal box 13 toward the axle 10 of the wheel, while the controller arm 11 inclines downwardly toward the mid portion of the slidable rod; a line between the controller arm pivot on the body frame, and the controller arm pivot on the slidable rod, and a line between the latter pivot and the journal box, forming an obtuse angle; while the axis of the axle and the axis of the pivot of the controller arm on the frame are in substantially a vertical plane. To reduce to a minimum, the tendency of the axis to rotate, a suitable stay rod 26 is fixed to the side of the axle.

The desired movement of the axis of the axle, in a substantially vertical plane, is brought about by the controller arm 11, and the slidable brace rod 12, but the lengths of the rod and arm, and the location of their pivots, must be determined by experiment. Those shown in the drawings are of suitable proportions and when used, will have the desired movements, within the range of movement permitted between the frame and the axle. It will be obvious, as from an inspection of Fig. 7 that if the axle 10 were caused to move, as indicated by dotted lines, toward the body frame 1, each of two slidable rods 12, in proportion to its movement, would tend to turn about its pivot in the pivoted journal box 13, but in so doing, the controller arm 12 would, in moving upward,

compel the slidable arm to move outwardthrough the journal box, 2'. 6. would shorten the distance or radius between the axis of the axle l0 and the axis of the pivoted journal box 13; so that as the axis of each slidable rod approached a horizontal plane, the axis of the axle would move about the journal box pivots with radii diminishing at such a rate,that the path of the axis, whether the axis were moving in a line parallel or not with the plane of the frame, would be upward in a plane B substantially at right angles to the plane of the frame. And vice versa,

should the axis of the wheel move from the,

dotted position, downward and away from the frame body, the reverse operation would take place. Instead of moving about the pivoted journal box with a shortening radius, each controller arm, in descending, would draw its slidable rod inwardly, that is, would increase the length of the radius just enough to compel each portion of the axis of the axle to move downwardly in a plane at rightangles to the plane of the frame rather than in an arc of a circle about the pivoted journal box as a center. In fine, by means of this feature of my invention, each part of the axis of the axle moves within the working limits of oscillation in a plane at right angles to the plane of the vehicle frame It will also be obvious, that if it is desired to increase the tension of the spiral I spring 3 to accommodate it to the load to be carried by the vehicle, then by turning the adjusting rod 2% in the right direction, its inner end bearing against the bottom of the hole in the cap, see Fig. 1, the threaded lug 23 of the socket block will be compelled to move toward the free end of the tube, and, in so doing, the extension of the spiral spring would be forced toward the spiral, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and give the desired tension to the spring, the controller arm 11 preventing the spring from forcing the axle out of its proper relations to the vehicle frame. Means for indicating the amount of tension obtained are not shown herein, for I have described in prior United States Patents, various methods which can be easily adapted to this particular form of construction.

Having fully described my invention, and r desiring to protect the same in the broadest manner legally possible, what I claim is: 1. In a vehicle, a vehicle frame; a spiral spring and extension; means for securing the spiral to the frame; a rod secured to the frame, and connected to a wheel axle; a seat slidably supported by said rod, and designed to receive the end of said spring extension; means to prevent the spring from forcing the axle out of proper relations to the vehicle frame; and means connected with said seat member to cause said seat member to move and the tension of the spring thus be increased or decreased the desired extent.

2. In a vehicle, a vehicle frame; a spiral spring and extension; means for securing the spiral to the frame; a rod slidably secured to the frame and operatively 'connected to a wheel axle; a seat member movably supported by said rod, and designed to receive the end of said spring extension; a

controller arm pivoted to said rod and to said frame to resist the thrust of the spring imparted through the seat to the rod and to limit and control the longitudinal niovement of said rod; and means connected with said seat member, to cause said seat member to move, and the tension of said spring thus be increased or decreased the amount desired.

3. In a vehicle, a vehicle frame; a spiral spring and extension occupying an oblique posit-ion in relation to the vehicle frame; means for securing the spiral to the frame; a rod slidably secured to the frame, and operatively connected to a wheel axle; a seat slidably supported by said rod, and designed to receive the end of said spring extension; a controller arm one end pivoted to the frame, and the other to the rod, to oppose the thrust of the spring imparted through the seat to the rod, and to limit and control the longitudinal movement of the rod so that the axle will approach or recede from the frame in a plane at right angles to the plane of the longitudinal axis of the frame; and means connected with said seat member to cause said seat to move and the tension of said spring thus be increased or decreased the desired amount.

4. In a vehicle, a Vehicle frame; a spiral spring and extension; means for securing the spiral to.the frame; a rod operatively secured to the frame, connected to a wheel axle and having a longitudinal hole there in; a seat slidably mounted on said rod, and designed to receive the end of said spring extension; an adjusting rod within said longitudinal hole in said rod; and means connected with said seat member, whereby said adjusting rod may cause said seat to move and thus to increase or to decrease the tension in said spring.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. EASTMAN. Witnesses:

E. F. UNIAO, F. J. V. DAKIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

